Braidy once got oppurtunity to work as a tester in a software company. As usual the company lacked testing culture.
The bugs reported by QA/testing team were not always reviewed and all the bugs were not always fixed. Most of the times, the focus was on fixing the blocker and major issues only. Despite the fact that Braidy and his team was working hard, the information provided by testing was always ignored. Their managers hardly believe what testers uncovered.  They used to say “Let Client report the bug then we will fix this..”. Management team always had predetermined  plans/dates for software delivery. Braidy was not happy with all this.

Days passed, software was delivered to client. UAT happened and client accepted the software. After few weeks, client started reporting issues.  Every week client was reporting 2-3 bugs. Both client and Senior management of software company were not happy.

Bugs were communicated to testing and dev teams. Management team started questioning the Development and Test leads via emails. Braidy checked the bug tracker and found that almost all the bugs were already reported by testing team during the testing cycles but these bugs were not fixed and were in open/new stage. Braidy replied to one of the email and asked Project Manager/Delivery manager “Why these bugs were ignored and not fixed? Now these bugs become high priority and critical for client?”

No one from the management team replied to Braidy’s email. But he observed some changes – After each test cycle, the bugs were reviewed, managers started analysis/review of the test reports/results and started getting inputs from test teams.

Moral of the story -

1. When I hear “It’s better for you, Customer, to report that than me,” I detect an organization that listens to neither customers nor workers ~Michael Bolton

2. If you aren’t going to believe what the testers uncover, either you have the wrong people or you need to get serious about helping them build their credibility. Testing is never just a matter of hiring and hoping.

~Gerald M. Weinberg – Book “Perfect Software and other illusions in Software Testing.

3. If you’re going to ignore information or go ahead with predetermined plans despite what the tests turn up, don’t bother testing. (Actually, it can’t really be considered information if you don’t use it.)

~Gerald M. Weinberg - Book “Perfect Software and other illusions in Software Testing.

4.  Only Testing team is not responsible for Quality.

Delivery manager/Project Manager to tester “is the product ready to deliver?”

Does PM/Delivery manager forget his role in project? Does he forgets tester’s role in the project? why he is asking this to tester?

Does this mean he should work on his decision making skills? Why he cannot analyze the data collected by dev/testing teams.

[Update - 02/27/2012]

Every manager expects that team members should be pro-active. Team members also expect that managers should be proactive and understand their responsibility. Gerald M. Weinberg also mentions in his book (Perfect Software and other illusions in Software Testing):

Over-honoring testers: If you let them make your decision for you, then you should step down and let them earn the manager’s salary.

- One gets motivated and gain confidence

- Companies can convince their clients by saying that – We have nn number of certified employees & we can deliver a quality product.

- It can help you in getting job, because some job descriptions are like – Preferred with ISTQB Certification. You can see lot of examples here.

Apart from above, do you know any reason why one should go for ISTQB/ISEB Software Testing Certifications? Post in comments.

Must Read - ISTQB and AST – Which one should you go for?

My Personal opinion - If you want to enhance your skills in testing, then you should go for AST’s BBST Foundations. Investment in BBST is much better than spending money in ISTQB.

Note - I am an ISEB ISTQB Foundations Ceritified tester too. I am not against ISTQB because I know why one should go for ISTQB certification.

A must Read -

http://www.oneofthewolves.com/2007/07/12/ast-certification-debate/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_testing_controversies

• Groups do not need to be dominated by exceptionally intelligent people in order to be smart. ~ the wisdom of crowds. Even if most of the people within a group are not especially well-informed or rational,it can still reach a collectively wise decision.
• Instead of insisting on finding the best possible decision, we will often accept one that seems good enough. And we often let emotion affect our judgment. Yet despite all these limitations, when our imperfect judgments are aggregated in the right way, our collective intelligence is often excellent.
• One of the striking things about the wisdom of crowds is that even though its effects are all around us, it’s easy to miss, and, even when it’s seen, it can be hard to accept.
• Chasing the expert is a mistake, and a costly one at that. We should stop hunting and ask the crowd (which, of course, includes the geniuses as well as everyone else) instead. Chances are, it knows.

http://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Crowds-James-Surowiecki/dp/0385721706

Sometime back I gave interview in a CMMi level company and in a Non-Cmmi level Company. I passed interviews of both companies but i joined none of these. I like the way the Non-Cmmi level Company took my interview. But I was disappointed with the way – the CMMi level company take my interview.

When I was interviewed by Non-Cmmi level Company:
After I reached their office, within 10 minute a Sr. person came to me, gave me laptop on which a sample application was installed. He asked me to find some types of bugs in the application and report them in excel or word document

I found the bugs and reported them. The Sr. guy evaluated my reports with his manager and after half an hour he informed me that I cleared first round.

After that I underwent two managerial/technical rounds and one HR round. In managerial/technical rounds they asked me some questions on real time scenarios like – what if any functionality is not documented? How you will proceed? Etc.

I managed to answer those questions and I got the offer. I was very happy.

When I was interviewed by Cmmi level Company:
After I reached their office, I waited for around one hour and then a Test lead came for first round of interview.

[The thoughts mentioned in blue came into my mind when I was being interviewed. But I did not expressed my thoughts in front of interviewers as I want to clear the interview]

Round 1 – 30 min aptitude test. I managed to clear the test.

Questions asked to me in CMMI company – Round 2:

1. What is the difference between smoke/sanity testing? [My thoughts - why he is asking this question? Is he fool or trying to make me fool?]
2. What are the various types of risk as per ISTQB syllabus? [My thoughts - I really don't care for the types of risks and I don't care what ISTQB says]
3. What are the various components of a test plan? [My thoughts - Is test plan an electronic circuit which have components?]
4. Client server application concepts. Plus few more questions like – the testing process you followed in your company.

I managed to answer all the above questions and clear the round 2.

Questions asked in CMMI Company – Round 3 (taken by a manager):

1. What is the difference between Waterfall and V model? [My thoughts -If I answer this question, then does it mean that I am eligible for your company?] [The manager and I had around 20 min debate on both models].

2. One puzzle – Interviewer said that he will ask only one puzzle. I answered the puzzle within 30 seconds. He said you answered in 30 seconds so now I will ask one more puzzle.

3. How you find bugs in bugzilla using the search? [My thoughts - The concept of every bug tracking tool is same. Is there anything special in bugzilla? Instead of asking for effective bug reports he is asking how to find bugs in bugzilla]

4. What are the benefits of using traceability matrix?

Round 4 – Managerial round.

Round 5 – HR round and after a week I got the offer letter.

I was happy that I got another offer letter but on the same time I was disappointed with the way the company took my interview. Answering the above questions and got job in a CMMI level company does not mean that you are expert in testing.

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I know my experience is less and I should not advice managers. But still I would like to suggest you to go thru http://www.kaner.com/pdfs/JobsRev6.pdf before recruiting testers.

A microscope produces nothing of value on its own, but it helps people to observe things that provide or threaten value. Here – https://twitter.com/#!/michaelbolton/status/17909541879

You don’t evaluate your eyeglasses by how many vision cases they executed today. Here – https://twitter.com/#!/michaelbolton/status/17910243521

How many fire prevention cases did your smoke alarm execute today. Here – https://twitter.com/#!/michaelbolton/status/17910281645

Wnen people say that semantics aren’t important, I don’t understand what they mean, but I guess it doesn’t matter. Here – https://twitter.com/#!/michaelbolton/status/17912608272

instead of asking if the sw meets the spec, ask if the spec writer understands the business. Here – https://twitter.com/#!/mheusser/status/20301744012

Today I heard a derivative from the “No user would ever do that!” statement: “The code works according to current use”. Here – https://twitter.com/#!/MichelKraaij/status/53048570135330816

Perspective: when under pressure to release the product, remember that the world has survived until now without it. Here – https://twitter.com/#!/michaelbolton/status/60676529159553025

Bringing about change within your team is satisfying, Influencing and persuading senior stakeholders….priceless! Here - https://twitter.com/#!/charrett/status/132294460737458176

Metrics are not meant to be interpreted they are required to be self evident. Here - https://twitter.com/#!/sbarber/status/132108348563791872

If humans were perfect thinkers, we wouldn’t need to test our work. Here - https://twitter.com/#!/skalra/status/72585120992858112

When I hear “It’s better for you, Customer, to report that than me,” I detect an organization that listens to neither customers nor workers. Here - https://twitter.com/#!/michaelbolton/status/123257010362916865

A good tester is a good thinker. A long time I give my following thoughts on testing here

There are many testing institutes in India. They all can give us technical and bookish knowledge on software testing.

But this is not enough. The main asset of a tester is ‘the way the tester thinks’. And this is not given by those institutes..

Testers need to change their mindset.. change the way of thinking..
Testing is nothing, but it is the game of thinking..

As per my experience – In CMMI5 companies, all the things are well documented and we prepare the test cases blindly with the help of specs and test the apps blindly with the help of Test cases. As all the review processes are followed in CMMI5 companies, so there are less chances of discrepancy.

But what will happen if someday you will be asked to test the application (in critical times) which dont have test cases. Will you able to test the application efficiently?

Testers should improve  Lateral thinking, scientific thinking & problem solving skills.

The concepts from Edward de Bono’s book, “Six Thinking Hats” is applied to Software development and Software testing (by Julian Harty, Google) and I found them useful and practical. I believe many of you will benefit by using them, too. You can get more details here and here.

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Behave conventionally. Squander energy. Deflect scrutiny. Say you tested it, but spend most of your time playing Spider Solitaire instead. Be sure to submit a few bugs though, because you don’t want to make it too obvious that you’re not really testing.

This tongue-in-cheek advice was offered up by the quotable James Bach (satisfice.com) during his presentation “How to Fake a Test Project” at STPConference 2009. For the uninitiated, James – a noted author, speaker, teacher and consultant – is among the most outspoken testing contrarians. Whether it’s certifications, 100-page test scripts or rigid documentation, he’s always willing to challenge conventional wisdom.

This most recent presentation – where he advised testers to “focus narrowly, minimize humanity and blame complexity, ambiguity and volatility” – was more of jab at the absurdities of outdated software testing practices than about actually faking a test project (at least we hope). So for anyone who is new to the profession – or who would like a fresh perspective on the QA craft – you owe it yourself to see James speak in person. He’s insightful, provocative and funny as hell. If you’ve been in the profession for 20+ years and think you’ve got testing all figured out, we’d recommend that you stay away. Far, far away.

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I wish, James throw more light on faking a test project and right directions to testers.

It is the process of MEASURING the quality of software.

Most of the novice testers say “It is the process of improving the quality of the software”.  But it is not true. Testing measures the quality of a software/application under test by finding bugs in it. It helps in improving the software quality. But testing itself is not improving the quality.

Testing is a challenging job because-

A tester needs to think like a TESTER, DEVELOPER and CLIENT/CUSTOMER.

A tester needs to think like a TESTER – What will happen if I this input to the AUT?

A tester needs to think like a CLIENT- Is the AUT is working as per the CLIENTS requirements?

A tester needs to think like a DEVELOPER – Why the AUT/functionality is behaving like this? Why developer develops the functionality like this? Is it working as designed?